Max has appeared in every book and episode of Max & Ruby. He was initially a character in a series of books written by Rosemary Wells. His first television appearance was in the pilot episode. Max's first appearance was in 1979 when the first Max & Ruby book, "Max's First Word," was published.

Max has a red elephant and drives around a small red toy car. Originally, Max only spoke a few words each episode. Ruby trying to figure out what Max is saying, was a running gag early on. In seasons 6-7,